VELLORE: The Andhra Pradesh government has been gradually increasing the heights of existing check dams across the Palar and its tributaries to multiply the water storage capacity, according to a reliable source in the public works department (PWD) of the Tamil Nadu government. It is a gross violation of the Mysore-Madras Agreement 1892, which is still in force under the Interstate River Water Disputes Act 1956, and also amounts to contempt of court as a case was pending in the Supreme Court regarding the issue, according to an official. Farmers, who attended a grievance day meeting at the Vellore district collectorate on February 17, raised the issue that the AP government had constructed new check dams and increased the heights of the existing structures across the Palar to double the water storage capacity. The AP government had taken up construction works at Sivaramapuram, Palaru, Kollamaduvu, Giddegaanipenta, Nayanur, Pokkilrev and Shanthipuram to increase the heights of the check dams across the Palar by 8 -10 feet. The construction works had also completed at Sivaramapuram and Shanthipuram, the farmers charged at the meeting. Admitting that the AP government had raised the height of the check dam at Gangalaparevu, a reliable source in the department said, “They have raised the height of the structure from 3 metre to 4.1 metre (from 10 feet to 13 feet). It is located at around 14km in the upstream from Sree Kanakanachiamman Kovil at the inter-state border at Perumpallam.” There were 22 check dams across the Palar, which flows for 33km in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh. “The AP government has been gradually increasing the heights of the check dams. They have also completed works at seven places within 14km in the upstream of Palar from the inter-state border in the last eight to months,” added the source. He, however, denied the claims of the farmers, who stated that a massive dam measuring 50 feet height and 200 feet length was constructed across the river near Kothapalli Nullugunda. The PWD officials, Vellore, submitted a report the new construction work to the higher authorities of the department on, said a source in the district administration.

He added that this was the second report submitted by the PWD officials in the last two weeks. “The PWD officials had submitted a report to the state government regarding the construction activities across the Chinna Eru, a tributary of the Palar, 10 days ago. The report stated that AP government had converted the 12 existing stone masonry check dams across the tributary into concrete structure and also raising its height by 3 feet to 8 feet (from 5 feet),” added the source.